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FAA Bans Certain Flights After Fatal New York Helicopter Crash

A
doors-off helicopter tour in New York City that killed five people has pushed
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take action banning similar open air tour flights, which many
critics have long thought to have extreme risks. The decision came after the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), who is in the early stages of
their investigation, strongly urged the FAA to take "definitive
action."

A lawsuit
has already been filed against Liberty Helicopters, who was operating the
flight, and FlyNYON, who hired Liberty. The lawsuit accuses both of negligence
in the safety of the flight.

Prohibition
Order on Supplimental Passenger Restraint Flights Issued By FAA

In the
order, the FAA explicitly prohibits "the use of supplemental passenger
restraint systems that cannot be released quickly in an emergency in doors off
flight operations," as well as all "passenger-carrying doors off
flight operations" except those in which the aircraft has FAA-approved
restraints.

The FAA
lists the fatal Liberty helicopter crash as a Basis for the Order. The order
addresses the fact that all five passengers were fastened into the Airbus
Helicopters AS350B2 helicopter in harness systems described as
"supplemental passenger restraint systems" that would keep the
passengers from falling out while the helicopter conducted the tour with its
doors off. The order also says that knives were on board the Airbus helicopter
and that the passengers were told what the knives were for.

"The supplemental passenger restraint systems worn by the passengers, while intended as a safety measure when the aircraft was in flight, may have prevented the passengers’ quick egress from the aircraft."

Based on
the New York helicopter crash, the FAA says the Acting Administration "has
determined that an emergency exists related to safety in air commerce" and
that there is a "threat to passenger safety presented by the use of
supplemental passenger restraint systems not approved by the FAA."

Thirty-three-year-old
Richard Vance piloted the Airbus helicopter and was the only one to survive the
crash. He was not wearing the same harness as the passengers on board but was strapped
in by manufacturer-installed lap and shoulder belts. The NTSB says that the
five passengers on the aircraft drowned after being trapped inside.

Complicated
passenger harness systems have been an NTSB concern for years, with a 2008
helicopter crash highlighting the serious need for change. Passengers who
survived that crash despite having used such harnesses, described to the safety
agency that despite the briefing they received on how to evacuate from the
helicopter, they were uncertain how to do so during the emergency.

On March
19, 2018, the NTSB called on the FAA to immediately ban commercial flights that
use passenger harness systems that could be difficult for passengers to free
themselves from.

The NTSB
has not commented on what role the emergency fuel shutoff lever may have
played.

Victims
Filmed Flight Minutes Before New York Helicopter Crash

The ages
of the victims of the fatal New York helicopter crash ranged from 26 to 34.
Some lived in New York and some had traveled to the city on vacation.

Twenty-six-year-old
Trevor Cadigan was flying with a friend from Dallas, 26-year-old Brian
McDaniel. Cadigan moved to New York from Dallas not long before the crash and
worked as an intern at Business Insider. McDaniel, who Cadigan knew from
high school, was a firefighter in Dallas.

Twenty-nine-year-old
Carla Vallejos Blanco had come to New York from Argentina on vacation with
another friend who chose not to take part in the flight. Roxana Blanco said on
an Argentine radio program that her niece liked taking pictures and
hoped to do so from the helicopter.
It's not clear if Blanco had any connection to the other individuals on the
flight.

Photography
is a common pursuit of the passengers who book doors-off tours, and the fated
group was no different. Cadigan posted a video to Instagram of his and McDaniel's smiling
faces illuminated by the setting sun during takeoff. He also showed the
helicopter lifting off its pad as it began its ascent. Eleven minutes after
takeoff the aircraft crashed in the frigid river below.

NY
Helicopter Tours Are Frequent and Crashes Common

Helicopter
tours have become a daily feature of the Manhattan skies and Liberty Helicopters
is one of the main companies. Just because these tours are popular, however,
doesn't mean they're well-liked in the city. Residents have long complained
about noise and safety issues.

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